French and crusty: In search of real baguettes

Most Americans are relaxed about bread. We are used to nutrient-poor, additive-rich pre-sliced loaves that have a suspiciously long shelf life. But real bread starts to harden inside of a day, and is actually pretty hard to come by here—even the “baguette” you grab in the supermarket isn’t likely to be the real deal. The French know that real bread is preservative-free, baked from scratch that morning, and heaven-sent for sandwich-making. The A.V. Club went out in search of locally fresh-baked French baguette sandwiches, and bliss.

La Baguette
At La Baguette (7424 Mineral Point Rd., 608-827-6775), where you can read Le Monde and listen to the pleasant murmur of the owners' French, the bread is freshly baked daily from yeast, flour, water, salt, and sugar, and emerges from the oven with an entrancing aroma. The bread crunches noisily under the first bite, then gives way to a cloudlike light and fluffy interior.
Exemplary sandwich: Salty ham and cornichons are rightly cast in a supporting role to the alchemy of baguette and cheese, a semi-molten center where puffy bread fuses with creamy gruyere.

La Brioche True Food
La Brioche True Food (2862 University Ave., 608-233-3388) emphasizes the dining room ambience of soft chairs, white pressed linen, and quality flatware over the bakery side of the operation, but does sell carry-out loaves. The crust of the baguettes here tends to be softer than that of local competitors, and the loaves are lighter and more uniform.
Exemplary sandwich: The French dip isn’t actually from France (though its inventor, Philippe Mathieu, is) but it’s the house recommendation for savoring the bread at La Brioche. Tender thin-sliced roast beef and caramelized onions with plenty of melted provolone rest on an "herbed hoagie" baguette to be dipped in jus.

Madison Sourdough Co.
Madison Sourdough Co. (6642 Mineral Point Rd., 608-833-8009) is primarily focused on wholesale loaf production. Crusty "rustic" (non-sour) loaves, caraway rye, brioche, and French baguettes can be carried out as loaves. The bakery is scheduled to move into more of a restaurant role along with a new space with seating for 50 at 916 Williamson late this April.
Exemplary sandwich: Goat cheese, bacon, and marmalade provide a sweet-and-sour counterpoint to the five grains of the sourdough bread: corn, oats, rye, berries, cracked wheat, and stone-ground whole wheat.